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Photo: Aimaimyi · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Yubara Onsen

Okayama · 湯原温泉

Yubara Onsen is a hot spring town in Okayama, Japan. The water leaves the ground at 44.9°C, hot. It measures pH 9.23 — strongly alkaline. Officially the water is classed as simple spring. Its sources put out around 6,000 litres a minute. 20 inns take visitors here with room for about 2,000 guests. About 600,000 people a year come to bathe.

Getting there

From Kyoto / Osakaabout 2½ h
JR PassCovers the train
  1. Train to Chūgoku-Katsuyama Station (JR)

Fly into Kansai (KIX) or Itami. Times are rough estimates worked out from station locations, not a timetable — check the exact route on Google Maps.

Simple spring

The water here

Simple spring 単純温泉

Mild and low in dissolved minerals. Usually clear and gentle on the skin, which is why these baths are often recommended for first-timers.

More photographs

From Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for the photographer and licence.

Things to see nearby

Katsuyama CastleCastle · 12.9 km
Kanba FallsWaterfall · 10.5 km
HishioMuseum · 13.5 km
Mount WakasugiMountain · 13.1 km

Places from Wikidata, photographs from Wikimedia Commons. Distances are in a straight line from the town.

With tattoos

Many public baths still turn away visible tattoos, and the rule is set by each bath, not by the town. The reliable way round it is to bathe privately: a room with its own open-air bath, or an inn with a private bath you can book for yourselves.

Rooms with an open-air bath — Maniwa CityInns with a private bath — Maniwa City

More on tattoos and onsen

Where to stay

Onsen inns — Maniwa City

Opens Rakuten Travel, which lists inns in English. Onsen Guide earns a commission if you book through these links, at no extra cost to you.

Hot spring towns nearby

Okutsu OnsenOkayama · 奥津温泉17.2 km east
Simple spring
Sekigane OnsenTottori · 関金温泉18.2 km north
Radioactive spring
Misasa OnsenTottori · 三朝温泉27.5 km northeast
Chloride springRadioactive spring
Tōgō OnsenTottori · 東郷温泉33.4 km northeast
Chloride springSulfate spring
Hawai OnsenTottori · はわい温泉33.7 km northeast
Chloride springSulfate spring

Similar water elsewhere

Towns further away with the same kind of water — useful if this one is hard to reach or fully booked.

Ogoto OnsenShiga · 雄琴温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Komaki OnsenAomori · 古牧温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Yuze OnsenAkita · 湯瀬温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Hakuba-Happo OnsenNagano · 白馬八方温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Kawaura OnsenYamanashi · 川浦温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring
Mimata OnsenShimane · 美又温泉Also simple, similar pH
Simple spring

The numbers

Water temperature
44.9°C
pH
9.23 (strongly alkaline)
Discharge
6,000 litres a minute
Inns
20
Guest capacity
2,000
Visitors a year
600,000
Address in Japanese
岡山県真庭市湯原温泉 {{Location map many | Japan Okayama Prefecture | relief = 1 | caption

Figures from the town's Japanese Wikipedia article.

Where it is

35.2011, 133.7324 — open the map

Read more

Japanese Wikipedia

Planning a first soak? Read how an onsen stay works, and what to do if you have tattoos.